After some negotiation, Rurune, the girl Ais had caught, took a sphere from her package and handed it to Ais.
"What is this?"
Staring at the orb in her hand, both Ais and Lefia wore puzzled expressions.
It was a green orb wrapped in a translucent membrane. Inside the orb was liquid, along with an unsettling fetus.
At that moment, a huge eyeball inside the orb, completely out of proportion to the tiny body curled into a ball, stared at Ais and Lefia.
Its long hair seemed to proclaim that it was female, curving from the top of its head down along its back.
Although the mysterious fetus did not move at all, its heart was beating steadily.
As she looked at the orb in her hand, Ais's pupils contracted sharply.
A strange feeling welled up within her.
It was as if their heartbeats had synchronized, and Ais felt her own heartbeat speeding up as well.
Meeting the fetus's gaze, Ais felt her blood begin to boil.
"What is this?"
A violent ringing sounded deep in her ears. A sensation like worms writhing beneath her skin spread throughout her body, and Ais suddenly felt like vomiting.
At the same time, dizzy and lightheaded, Ais could no longer withstand the sensation and fell to her knees.
"Ais!"
Seeing Ais's abnormal state, Lefia hurriedly snatched the orb from her hands and pulled away from Ais.
Just then, a clear flute note suddenly rang out, followed by the sounds of something slicing through the air and an explosion.
Lefia did not recognize the first sound, but she knew the latter all too well.
It was Shirou Emiya's attack.
"Big brother!"
Ais, likewise stirred by the sound of the attack, instantly drew her Precious Sword and assumed a defensive stance.
Although she had not